The Future of Consumerist

Over the last twelve years, Consumerist has been a steadfast proponent and voice on behalf of consumers, from exposing shady practices by secretive cable companies to pushing for action against dodgy payday lenders. Now, we’re joining forces with Consumer Reports, our parent organization, to cultivate the next generation of consumer advocacy.

Stay tuned as Consumerist’s current and future content finds its home as a part of the Consumer Reports brand. In the meantime, you can access existing Consumerist content below, and we encourage you to visit Consumer Reports to read the latest consumer news.

The U.S. Postal Service is always trying to convince people that it’s just as good as FedEx or UPS. But for all the aspects of those businesses the Postal Service should emulate, there’s one it shouldn’t: Tossing expensive packages over customers’ fences.

Only weeks after a FedEx carrier made headlines — and probably got a slap on the wrist from his regional manager — for heaving a computer monitor over a fence, a man in California caught his local mail carrier launching a package (containing an antique clock) over his fence and into his yard.

“I looked and he pulled up, threw it over the fence and then got in the van and drove off,” the recipient tells NBC Los Angeles about the incident, which was all captured on his recently installed security camera. “I went out there and picked up the thing and he was already up the street.”

Not surprisingly, that toss resulted in a bit of damage to the clock. “The chains no longer work. I guess they’re jammed up in the back. And one of them is off the rails. And the second hand is catawampus, it’s loose,” says the buyer. “But I don’t know what else is broke until I take it in and have them look at it.”

He says the post office was responsive when he called and had someone out to his home in a matter of minutes, though he would not let the USPS rep take the clock back with them, opting instead to have it repaired and get reimbursed by the Postal Service.

In a statement to NBC, the Postal Service writes:

The U.S. Postal Service was dismayed to see the video of one of our employee throwing a parcel over a fence. That does not represent the kind of service we strive to provide our customers. This matter is currently being investigated to determine the appropriate actions to be taken with regards to the employee and our customer.

The man says he doesn’t want the mail carrier to lose his job, but says he should be reprimanded.